Terms & Conditions

Holiday Caloundra is a division of Local Agent real estate.

Holiday Caloundra (the Agent) is contracted by individual property owners (the Owner) to take holiday bookings for their private properties. In doing so, property Owners employ this policy as the framework for managing booking cancellations, amendments and refunds.

Requests from Guests seeking to cancel, amend, refund or make changes to bookings inconsistent with this policy, will be referred by our staff to the property Owner/s, who will be the sole decision-makers regarding such requests. 

All Peak Season (Christmas) Bookings for 2024/25 will commence on Fridays for unit bookings and Saturdays for holiday house bookings.

HOLIDAY CALOUNDRA has a ‘NO SMOKING, NO PARTIES, NO FUNCTIONS’ policy in all properties. Failure to abide by these rules authorises the Agent to immediately terminate the booking without refund.

1. OFFICE HOURS – CHECK-IN & CHECK-OUT TIMES – KEYS

1.1 Our office hours are currently: Monday to Thursday 8.30am – 4:30pm Friday 8.30am – 4.00pm

Our office is generally not open on weekends.

1.2 Check-in is from 2:00pm each day. Keys can be collected from the office during operating hours on weekdays, or from the lock boxes at the rear of the office on weekends, on public holidays or after office hours. We will contact you by SMS or mobile if your keys can be collected prior to 2:00pm. If you are arriving after hours please contact our office prior to your arrival date to arrange ‘after hours’ key collection.

1.3 All Guests will be provided with one set of keys (including garage or similar remote controller if required).  A second set, or partial second set of keys may be available but is not assured.

1.4 Check –out has occurred once the keys are returned to the office and Guests have vacated the property.

Check-out is required prior to 10:00am all days. Keys returned outside office hours must be placed in the Key Return box in the rear door of the office (located in Farlow Lane).

Late check-out (after 10:30am) will result in an additional $50 charge to the Guest

Late check-out (after 11:00am) will result in an additional $100 charge to the Guest

Late check-out (after 12noon) will result in an additional $150 charge to the Guest

1.5 Keys that are lost or damaged will be the responsibility of the Guest as will be the cost of key and lock replacement. As this can become quite expensive, please take good care of your keys. A call-out fee of $50 will be payable by the Guest if assistance is required due to lost keys or ‘lock outs’ after hours but before 9:00pm.  A locksmith will be required to be contacted after 9:00pm and payable by the Guest.

2. BOOKINGS & PAYMENTS

General:

Holiday Caloundra advertises privately owned properties on behalf of individual property owners through numerous online booking channels.  If you make a booking through a third party online booking site, that booking site must be your first contact point for any alterations, amendments or cancellations to your confirmed booking.

2.1 Holiday Caloundra reserves the right to error check and amend the details of all online bookings even after the event of an automated confirmation email being forwarded as a result of a deposit being paid. Should an error occur you will be contacted to discuss your options.

2.2 Deposits:

An initial deposit of 50% of the tariff, plus the non-refundable booking fee, must be paid within 24 hours of making the booking and the balance of deposit (full tariff) paid 60 days prior to arrival. (If you choose to make a booking through any site other than our website at www.holidaycaloundra.com.au you may be required to pay the full amount at the time of booking as well as any fees they may choose to add).

2.3 Confirmation and Re-Booking:

All bookings are confirmed by email clearly stating the dates booked and the price that applies. During peak holiday periods, if you wish to re-book the same property for the same time next year,  you will secure priority over any other Guest on the condition that you re-book during business hours prior to departure.  Your priority lapses after that period.  All bookings for the Caloundra Music Festival weekend must be paid in full at the time of booking.

2.4 Card Fees:

All credit card payments will incur a 1.5% card fee. This is a non-refundable fee charged to us by your credit card provider.

2.5 Booking Fees:

All bookings will incur a non-refundable $60 Booking Fee.

2.6 Minimum Stay:
Most properties have a minimum stay of 3 nights in the low season and 7 nights in the high season. If unsure, please check with our office staff for individual property minimum stay periods.

2.7 Booking Cancellations/Amendments/Refunds:
Holiday Caloundra is contracted by individual property Owners to take holiday bookings for their private properties. In doing so, property Owners employ this policy as the framework for managing booking cancellations, amendments and refunds. Requests from Guests seeking to cancel, amend bookings or refund inconsistent with this policy, will be referred by our staff to the property Owner/s, who will be the sole decision-makers regarding such requests.

All tariffs paid for Low Season bookings cancelled 2 months or greater before arrival will be refunded less a cancellation fee equal to $150 or 10% of the full tariff (whichever is greater).

Low Season bookings cancelled or amended less than 2 months prior to arrival will not be refunded unless Holiday Caloundra is successful in reselling some or all of the same booking dates, in which case, an amount equivalent to the tariff of the resold dates will be refunded.

Mid-Season, Peak Season, Easter Holidays and Caloundra Music Festival booking cancellations will receive no refund unless Holiday Caloundra is successful in reselling some or all of the same booking dates, in which case, an amount equivalent to the tariff of the resold dates will be refunded.

Please Note: THE BOOKING FEE AND CARD FEE ARE ALWAYS NON-REFUNDABLE.

In the event that the dates of your holiday are altered, and the booking is subsequently cancelled, the cancellation policy time frames indicated in points 1, 2 and 3 above will apply and be calculated using the dates of the original booking or the new dates, which ever arrival date falls first.

Once a booking is cancelled, it will be subject to this policy, and cannot be reactivated.

Should you choose to voluntarily vacate earlier than your agreed departure date, you agree that you will not be entitled to any refund.

IF YOUR BOOKING WAS INITIATED THROUGH A 3RD PARTY BOOKING SITE, PLEASE ENSURE YOU ALSO CHECK THE 3RD Party TERMS AND CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH YOUR BOOKING, AND REFER ANY CANCELLATION MATTERS TO THE THIRD PARTY

2.8 COVID-19 Booking Cancellations:

In the event that Guests cannot legally attend a pre-booked holiday due to QLD government COVID-19 border closures and/or QLD government directives prohibiting wholesale movement of the general public through lockdowns etc., all money’s paid will be refunded for the days that the guest is prohibited from attending due to the closures less the booking fee and credit card fees.  Otherwise, the standard cancellation policies previously detailed above will apply.

2.9 Travel Insurance

We strongly recommend you purchase travel insurance to cover any unforeseen circumstances.

2.10 Booking Postponements:

Guests seeking to postpone rather than cancel bookings, can generally do so (subject to availability and the property owner’s approval).  If the cost of the booking increases between the original dates and the new agreed postponement dates, the Guest will be responsible for paying the increased amount.  Contact our office to discuss.

2.11 Security Bond:

A security bond protects the Owner from costs associated with damage, excessive cleaning, unsettled expenses and/or additional costs or losses experienced by the owner as a result of the actions or inactions of the paying Guest and/or their guests.  See Section 11 – DAMAGE AND/OR LOSS

All Guests are required to pay or authorise a refundable security bond ON or PRIOR to check-in, as well as provide credit card and photo ID details for security purposes.  The amount involved will depend on the property you have booked (between $500 and $1500).  Security bonds are generally taken as a credit card pre-authorisation*, but we reserve the right to require payment as cash, by credit card or EFTPOS transfer to be held in trust for the duration of the booking – especially for bookings that are for a period of 21 days or longer. In the event of any damages, extra cleaning fees or unpaid amounts, money will be claimed by us from the bond or preauthorisation). (*Note: A pre-authorisation is not a charge, it is a pending transaction against a credit card that will automatically be released by your bank (unless claimed partially or in full by us for unpaid services, additional costs, damages or extra charges).

Security bond refunds will be processed by us at the end of a booking less any outstanding amounts deducted as soon as practicable, and after we have received the cleaner’s report and the property has been cleared of maintenance, loss  or damage concerns,  and once we have received Australian bank details from the Guest for refunds. The bank will then take an additional period to finalise the process.

2.12 Card Fees

A 1.5% card fee will apply for all transactions and bonds paid by Australian credit cards, or for any expenses that need to be recovered from a pre-authorisation. There are no fees payable for bond pre-authorisations, or bonds paid by EFTPOS on savings or cheque accounts, or paid by direct deposit.  International cards may attract higher fees.

OTHER MATTERS:

3. ARRIVAL AT PROPERTY:

If, upon first arriving at the property, the Guest observes any maintenance, cleaning or other issues, and wishes for these matters to be attended to during their stay, they are required to immediately report the matter to the Agent, or if after hours, leave a message on the office answering service (07 5491 3555).  Cleaning is conducted by third party contractors, who will generally not return to properties to attend to cleaning issues if the Guest has not reported their concerns to our staff within 2 hours of entering the property.

Maintenance issues will be attended to in priority order, and at a time depending on the availability of staff, trades people and or replacement parts.

4. DEPARTURE REQUIREMENTS:

Please ensure the following has been attended to: All rubbish removed from the property and placed in the appropriate bins, and the dishwasher must be emptied, all dishes washed, dried and put away.  The property must be left secure with all windows and doors closed and locked, the air conditioners and all electrical devices must be turned off.  All furniture must be placed back in its original position. Please leave the premises clean and tidy as an extra cleaning fee (in addition to the cleaning fee paid at the time of booking) will be payable from the Security Bond if the property requires extra cleaning, tidying or deodorising.

5. LINEN & BEDMAKING

Prior to 1 November 2023, some of our properties had linen supplied and the beds made, while the remaining properties provided Guests with the option to bring or hire linen for their stay.  All new bookings made on or after 1 November 2023 come supplied with all linen, and many properties also have the beds made.  Guests should refer to each property’s individual property description for details about linen, and check whether or not they made their booking before or after 1 November 2023 to determine whether or not linen is provided and/or the beds are made. 

6. PETS: 

Pets are strictly prohibited from all Holiday Caloundra properties, unless specifically advertised otherwise.  Guests attending Pet Friendly properties with animals must ensure they comply with the specific requirements of the property owner.  All pet owners must ensure that the grounds of the rented holiday property are left in a clean and tidy manner. A clean-up fee of $30.00 will be payable from your bond if you fail to clean up any droppings left by your pet. We also ask, for the safety of your pet, that you administer a flea treatment to your pet prior to arrival. Our Pet Friendly accommodation is strictly ‘No Pets Allowed Inside’, unless stipulated otherwise.

7. QUALITY OF PROPERTIES:

Holiday Caloundra provides a wide variety of accommodation options, from basic and budget to high end million dollar properties. Guests must ensure that the property they are booking, meets their expectations.  Whilst all care is taken by Holiday Caloundra to ensure accuracy of information and up-to-date website photos, Holiday Caloundra cannot accept any liability for any misunderstanding as to the features and quality of each property.

8. ILLEGAL AND ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR:

No illegal or anti-social behaviour  will be tolerated and immediate eviction will take place, without refund, upon the Agent being notified and confirming the problem.  Police will be alerted as appropriate.  The Guest acknowledges and agrees to the Agent’s right to enter and inspect the property at any time, if the Agent has formed a reasonable belief that the property has, or may, be damaged, or used for anti-social or illicit activity.  A business cannot be operated from any holiday property without prior consent of the property owner and/or the body corporate if applicable.

9. BUILDING WORKS:

It is the individual Owner’s and individual build body corporate committee’s responsibility to notify us in the case of a building refurbishment or renovation. When notified of any such building works we will notify you and, if authorised by the Owner, offer alternative accommodation if possible – but this cannot be guaranteed.  It is unlikely that we will be notified by individuals of any other property within the vicinity of your rental property being renovated. We cannot control and are regularly not advised on works in neighbouring properties.

10. BREAKDOWN of EQUIPMENT:

Air conditioners, wi-fi, swimming pools, spas, electrical appliances and similar equipment are all subject to break down or loss of services and sometimes delayed repairs are inevitable. Please report any breakdown as soon as you can. Whilst every effort will be made to repair these items as quickly as possible, no guarantee of their availability or serviceability for the duration of a stay is given. No refund or reduction in tariff will be made for non-availability of any of these items for any part of a stay.  For all assistance please call our office number 07 5491 3555. For after-hours emergency assistance, call the previous number and follow the after hours answering service instructions.  Property Owners will be the sole decision-makers as to whether or not, they will refund or compensate Guests for any issues that may arise that affect their properties.  The Agent has no authority to use Owner’s funds to compensate Guests for issues that may arise without the written authorisation of the property Owner.  Guests who incorrectly or falsely report maintenance or breakdown issues which result in tradespeople or maintenance staff unnecessarily attending the property, will be responsible for the resultant costs they have caused, which will be paid from the Guest’s security bond. 

11. DAMAGE AND/OR LOSS:

Accidental or malicious damage, excessive cleaning costs, unsettled expenses and/or additional costs or losses to a property or its contents will be the responsibility of the Guest who made the booking.  The Guest acknowledges and agrees that funds to replace, repair or compensate for the damage will initially be obtained from their bond or credit card pre-authorisation. The Guest acknowledges and agrees that if additional funds beyond the bond or credit card authorisation are required by the Agent to replace, repair or compensate the owner for damage or missing items, the Guest has provided the Agent with the authority to charge the additional costs against the guest’s credit card or any other additional Guest funds held by the Agent for any other purpose.  Furthermore, if the additional credit card and additional Agent held funds are inadequate to cover the extra costs, the Guest agrees to make the funds available to the Agent no later than 7 days after being notified of the unpaid costs by the Agent.  If the Guest subsequently seeks to recover these charged credit card funds via the chargeback processes with their card issuing bank, the matter will, at the property owners discretion, be referred to and prosecuted through the court system.

12. PROPERTY PRESENTATION:

Upon arrival at your chosen accommodation, should the Guest find any cleaning or maintenance issues, please contact the Agent to have the issue rectified. If the Guest chooses not to advise the agent, it is agreed that the Guest is satisfied with the property, and any future claim is forfeited.

Please Note:  A consumer must provide a service provider with an opportunity to rectify any minor issue free of charge and within a reasonable period of time.  A consumer cannot simply cancel a contract or expect a refund – ACCC

13. POOR GUEST RECORDS: 

The Agent reserves the right to refuse a booking from a past or future Guest whose behaviour was or is inconsistent with the Agent’s reasonable expectations.

14. SALE or NON-AVAILABILITY OF PROPERTY:

The Agent acts as a booking agent for private property owners.  As such, we advertise and accept bookings for properties consistent with the Owner’s instructions.  If the property is sold or withdrawn by the Owner from holiday letting, or if the property undergoes maintenance of which we were not informed, or the property is deemed unsafe or unsatisfactory for holiday letting for any reason, or a double booking occurs, or if for any other reason a property becomes unavailable for the duration of a Guest booking, Guest bookings may need to be moved to another property or cancelled.  In such cases, the Agent will endeavour to find alternative suitable accommodation from within the Agent’s other holiday properties, but if unable to do so, the Guest accepts that they do not have a right to the holiday tenancy nor any right to take legal action against the Owner or the Agent.  In such circumstances, after the deduction of any card fees, the Guest will be provided with a full refund of monies paid.

15. LOST PROPERTY:

There is a $25.00 collection fee for the Agent’s staff members to collect items that have been left behind at properties by guests.  It is also the Guest’s responsibility to organise or pay for postage or courier services to return belongings.  Lost property will be held for a period of 4 weeks, at which time it will be disposed of as appropriate.

16. MAIL:

Guests are not to have their mail sent to the holiday property address.  The Agent does not hold letterbox keys and cannot arrange access to letterboxes.  If Guests require a mail collection point please contact the agent’s office for options.

17. ELECTRIC VEHICLES (EVs):

Electric vehicles (EVs) including cars, bikes and scooters are not to be recharged at holiday letting properties. Such vehicles pose unacceptable insurance risks to property owners and body corporates, as well as consuming electricity for which the guest has not paid. In particular, EVs must not be recharged in private or body-corporate spaces such as underground car parks or use private or body-corporate resources without express prior permission of the property owner and/or the body-corporate manager as appropriate. Unless a purpose-built EV charging station is available at the holiday property, all EVs must be recharged off-site, presumably at certified recharging stations.

Disclaimer

While the Agent endeavours to supply accurate information on this site, errors and omissions may occur. In the event of such, the Agent will make reasonable effort to make contact with the Guest. If there is an error in the process of listing a product or service on the agent’s website or a technical error, the Agent reserves the right to refuse or cancel a booking in this instance. Guest bookings are accepted in good faith by the Agent but may be subject to change as notified by the Owner prior to the commencement of the booking. The Agent cannot accept responsibility for action taken by the Owner of the premises outside of the Agent’s control. Every reasonable endeavour will be made to offer alternative accommodation should this occur. Please also ensure that when booking, the Guest is required to make every enquiry to ascertain that the property booked is suitable to the Guest’s needs as refunds will not be given on personal preferences. From time to time repairs and maintenance need to be attended to during the guest’s stay at which time a contractor will need to access the property. The Agent may need to disclose your phone number to the contractor to gain access. If this contact method is unsuccessful the Agent will provide a key to the property for the contractor to gain entry.   All parties agree that from time to time, circumstances beyond the agent’s control will affect or compromise the Agent’s ability to deliver all services in a timely manner – such instances may include, but are not limited to pandemics, wars and conflict, supply chain issues, problems caused by government orders, staff shortages, and natural and man-made disasters.  These Terms and may change without prior notice being given.